It’s a given that now PR agencies should now be equipped to embrace social media as a channel, for the good of their clients – but by equipped, I don’t mean simply a team who know lots about Facebook. I mean that they should demonstrate an all-encompassing understanding of not just how social media works (in conjunction with and in relation to other channels) but also what it means to the business world. It’s about having a social mindset: understanding what a social consumer wants, does, needs and how that impacts the world, then applying that in the most meaningful and effective way possible.

Sadly that’s not always the case now, hence the huge opportunity for social media pure play agencies, social media consultants and specialists. Perhaps the old style of marketing of the last 20 years was too hung up about individual channels – social media is certainly forcing us to re-examine that. Hence the blurry boundaries between PR and social media, social media and advertising, advertising and entertainment… A channel does not look quite like the channels we learned about at CIM any more.

So in general, PR agencies need to up their game – or partner seamlessly with those who have that specialism – but either way, they need a social mindset, to be of strategic value to their clients and to hold their own against growing competition elsewhere.

What do you think? Can PR handle the task of social media adequately? Or only a part of it? Should PR agencies even get involved? And in terms of cutting the pie, who’s best placed to manage what (when you think about SM pure play agencies, social PR agencies, digital comms etc)? What is the agency of the future like?

Kate Spiers is director at Wisdom London, an integrated communications agency with a pragmatic approach to social media. Also a great believer in the social mindset.

If you’d like to talk more about the social mindset, or how social media is best integrated into your communications planning, get in touch here!